Electrical switch.



W. M. SCOTT.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1906.

Patented June 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l/9mm in h kw COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, D. c,

W. M. SCOTT.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAE.12,1906.

1,064,096, Patented June 10, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPM c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. SCOTT, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTTERELECTRICAL AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Application filed March 12, 1906. Serial No. 305,590. I

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. Soorr, a citizen of the United States,residing in the county and city of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Electrical Switch, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical switches, and more particularly toautomatic electrical switches such as automatic magnetic circuitbreakers.

My invention resides in an automatic electrical switch which is adaptedto control a circuit upon occurrence of predetermined electricalconditions, and which has its handle or operating lever disengageablefrom the switch mechanism so as to prevent the operator fromreestablishing a circuit, or otherwise moving the switch to normalposition during the existence or continuance of an abnormal orpredetermined electrical condition.

More particularly my invention resides in a cam mechanism for operatingthe movable switch member; the operators handle being latched to the cammember and disengageable therefrom. The movable switch member is notpositively connected with this operating means, but is independenttherefrom.

For an illustration of one of the forms my invention may take, referenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1. is a side elevational view of a circuit breaker embodying myinvention. Fig. 2. is a side elevation showing the operating mechanismin circuit closing position. Fig. 3. is a View similar to Fig. 2 withthe parts shown in open circuit position. Fig. 1 is a side view of thecam member. F ig. 5 is a side view of the actuator.

Referring to the drawings, B is a base or switchboard of a suitableinsulating material, such as marble, to the face of which are securedcontact terminals, 1 and 2 adapted to be bridged by the laminatedbridging member 3 secured to and supported on arm 4; pivoted at 5 to thehousing or bracket 6 secured upon said base 13. A metallic shunt contact7 is movable with the member 3, and adapted to engage the terminal 1. Atthe upper end of the resilient member 8 is carried the movable shuntcontact piece 9, of carbon, cooperating with the fixed shunt carbon 10which is secured above and in electrical communication with theterminal. A spring 11 is coiled about the pivot 5 and engages the arm 1and tends to throw it to open circuit position. A roller 12 is pivotedat 13 on an extension of arm 4, said roller 12 being adapted to rollupon and engage and be engaged by the cam surface 14 on the cam member15 pivoted at 16 in the bracket or housing 6. The cam member 15 extendsoutwardly beyond the pivot 16 and carries at its outer end the roller17. A second roller 18 is pivoted at 19 the roller 18 being adapted tobe engaged by the roller 12 when the parts are in circuit closingposition or nearly full circuit closing position. lVhen in circuitclosing position, the roller 12 rests in a depression 20 at the innerend of the cam member 15, and when in open circuit position the roller12 rests against the shoulder 21 of the member 15. The actuator oroperators handle or lever 22 is pivoted at 16 concentrically with thecam member 15 but independently thereof. A latch 23 is pivoted on theactuator 22 at 24;, a slot 25 and pin 26 serving to allow motion of thelatch 23 upon its pivot 24 and to limit the extent of motion. Spiralspring 27 is connected at its one end to the latch 23 and at its otherend to the cam member 15. A coil or winding 28 extends out horizontallyfrom the switchboard B and surrounds the core 29 of the electromagnethaving the pole piece 30 and armature 31 pivoted at 32. An adjustingscrew 33 is held in the bracket 34 and serves to determine the distancebetween armature 31 and pole piece 30. The angle member 35 is fastenedto the under side of the armature 31 and carries a fiber member 36 whichextends under the tail 23 of the latch 23.

The operation of the switch is as follows: Vith the parts in th ircircuit closing position, as shown in Fig. 1, when the current throughthe coil or winding 28 reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, thearmature 31 is attracted upwardly by the pole piece 30, causing fibermember 36 to engage the under side of the tail 23 of the latch 23, thuscausing said latch to be moved in opposition to spring 27 in a clockwisedirection about its pivot 2%, thus causing it to disen gage the roller17 of the cam member 15. This upward blow by the armature upon latch 23is communicated through the curved surface 23 of the latch 23 to theroller 17, so that in addition to releasing the roller 17 that roller isgiven a blow or impetus so as to start the cam member 15 to rotate in acounter clockwise direction about its pivot 16. When thus unlocked,spring 27 rotates the cam member 15. This movement of the cam member 15allows the roller 12 of the movable contact member to ride out of thedepression 20 and pastroller 18. The spring 27 contracts and causes thecam member 15 to continue its rotation about its pivot 16, the arm 4being forced away from the base B by spring 11. This movement continuesuntil the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3, in which case thearm 4 has carried the laminated member 3 and the shunt contacts 7 and 9away from their complementary fixed contacts, the final rupture takingplace at the carbons 9 and 10 as well understood in this art. During theopening move ment, the actuator or handle 22 has remained in itslowermost position which is limited by the stop or shoulder 37 whichengages the under side of the housing 6. To again close the circuit, theoperator raises the handle 22 to position shown in dotted lines in Fig.3, in which case the latch 23 reengages the roller 17 thus locking theactuator 22 and the cam member 15 together. When this locking has takenplace, the operator depresses the handle or actuator 22 and thus causesthe cam surface 1 1 to force the roller 12, and therefore the arm 4 andmember 3 toward circuit closing position, the roller riding up along thesurface 14 to and past the roller 18 and then into the depression 20.Now that this position has been reached, the operating handle 22 isagain in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 2, and the stop 37 hasengaged the under side of housing 6. Theroller l2 resting in thedepression 20 and latch 23 engaging roller 17 lock the parts in circuitclosing position.

If it is attempted to close the circuit during the existence or thecontinuance of an electrical condition to which the armature 31responds, upon first closure of the circuit the abnormal orpredetermined current will again flow through the winding 28 and thearmature 31 will accordingly disengage the latch 23 from the roller 17,and the parts will fly to open circuit position while the operatorcontinues to grasp the member 22. So it is that upon attempted closureof the circuit breaker during the existence or continuance of certainconditions of the circuit, the operating handle is disengaged from theswitch mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. In an electrical switch, a movable contact member, a cam member, aroller on said contact member engaging the cam surface, a depression atone end of said cam surface, a roller on said cam member approximatesaid depression, and means for actuating said cam member, whereby saidroller on said contact member will travel along said cam surface oversaid roller on said cam member and into said depression.

2. In an electrical switch, a movable contact member, a cam member foractuating the same, an actuator, a latch pivoted to said actuator forlocking the same to said cam member, and a spring connected. to said cammember and through said latch to said actu ator.

3. In an electrical switch, a movable contact member, a cam memberhaving a depression approximate one end of the cam surface, a rolleronsaid contact member engaging said cam surface, a roller on said cammember approximate said depression, an actuator,means for locking saidcam member and actuator together whereby said actuator operates said cammember to cause saic roller on said contact member to travel over saidroller on said cam member and into said depression.

4t. In an electrical switch, a movable contact member, a pivoted cammember for operating said contact member and having a depressionapproximate one end of the cam surface, a member movable with said contact member engaging said cam surface and in said depression, anactuator pivoted concentrically with said cam member, a latch connectingsaid actuator and said cam memher, and a spring connecting said cammember and said actuator, said latch and said means engaging in saiddepression serving to lock said movable contact member in normalposition.

5. In an electrical switch, a movable contact member, a cam member, anactuator, said cam member and actuator being concentrically pivoted andmovable with respect to each other, and a latch for connecting said cammember and actuator, said contact member when in normal position engagedby said cam member at a pointof the cam surface such that said cammember latched to said actuator restrains said contact member in normalposition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

G. V. HEENAN, N. F. WHELAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

